Archaeology - Atlas Obscura
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Witjira, Australia

Dalhousie Springs

Swim in these hot springs filled with three-million-year-old water, deep in the Australian Outback.
Hegra, Saudi Arabia

Jabal Ithlib

Carved into a towering rock mountain in Al Ula, this once served as a religious and political center in Hegra.
Tomb paintings can tell us a lot about the Ancient Egyptian diet because they often depict food offerings, hunting, and agriculture.
pyramids

What Did the Ancient Egyptians Eat? AO Wants to Know.

Egyptian archaeologist Mennat-Allah El Dorry digs deep into the diets of the past.
Andrew Coletti February 20, 2025
Cape Town, South Africa

Lydenburg Heads

These terracotta heads are among the oldest Iron Age objects found south of the equator.
Richard Long's 1972 land art piece <em>Walking a Line in Peru.</em>
maps

Ley Lines and the Allure of Imposing Order on History's Chaos

Believers claim these mysterious paths reveal unseen connections and, through them, a larger picture of the truth.
Colin Dickey February 12, 2025
Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Ancient City of Polonnaruwa

This site was once the religious, cultural, and trade center of Sri Lanka.
Xagħra, Malta

Sansuna’s Rock

Local legend associates this large limestone chunk with a giantess, but archeologists say it may be the remains of a neolithic burial chamber.
The shallow waters of Windover Pond yielded rich archaeological finds from Florida's Early Archaic Period.
bog bodies

Bog Bodies Lay Hidden in a Florida Pond for More Than 7,000 Years

In the 1980s, archaeologists uncovered 168 ancient skeletons from the peat at the bottom of Windover Pond.
Nicky Nielsen January 22, 2025
A single garnet gleams on the muddy foreshore of the River Thames.
archaeology

The Curious Gems of the River Thames

London's riverbanks are filled with treasures, including scores of deep red garnets with mysterious origins.
Ellery Weil January 7, 2025
A mother manatee and her baby swim through the water in Crystal River, Florida, where manatees can be found year-round.
science

Florida’s Manatees Are Relative Newcomers, According to Historical Research

These beloved sea cows were barely recorded in the area before the seas warmed in the late 1700s. Now their habitats are at risk.
Richard Luscombe January 6, 2025
Jaén, Spain

Arab Baths of Jaén

For centuries, the largest Arab bathhouse in Spain was hidden under a palace.
A desk has been sitting at the top of Hancock Hill for the last 40 years, after a group of college students dragged a piece of furniture up to make a secluded study spot.
architecture

Our Favorite New Places of 2024

We added nearly 2,000 places to the Atlas this year—these are 24 of our favorites.
Atlas Obscura December 30, 2024
Vientiane, Laos

Hor Lak Muang

The site of an ancient city pillar that was lost and rediscovered.
List

Colombia’s Wonders: 16 Spots Where Ancient History Meets Outdoor Adventure

For avid climbers, hikers, and bikers looking for the roads less traveled.
Tsugaru, Japan

Kamegaoka Stone Age Site

This prehistoric burial site is where one of Japan’s most iconic ancient idols was found.
Tidal flats in Denmark's Wadden Sea National Park show what the land on the edge of the North Sea looks like today.
maps

Exploring the Lost Land Beneath the North Sea

New research reveals that Doggerland—a sunken swath of Europe connecting Britain to the mainland—was more than a simple thoroughfare. It was home.
Tristan McConnell December 9, 2024
Wellington, New Zealand

Toenga o Te Aro (Remains of Te Aro Pā)

The only known remains of an extensive Maori settlement are preserved underneath an apartment building.
Penrith, England

Giant’s Grave

It may not be the final resting place of a literal giant, but the Giant’s Grave is still archaeologically important.